Track Conversion Underway, But Hawthorne Has Offered No Assurance on Sustaining 2026 Thoroughbred Meet

Past Time for Tim Carey to Address ITHA Members About Hawthorne's Financial Condition and Plans; Commit to Racing at Hawthorne at Your Own Risk

Trackman Greg Cardenas and his crew have started conversion of the main track back to our training and racing surface for the upcoming 2026 meet. This process usually takes a week, depending on weather. Warmer than normal temperatures are expected, which will help that process.  

But Hawthorne has yet to provide the ITHA with any assurance that it has the financial means to begin the meet on Sunday, March 29, as scheduled, and sustain the meet through its scheduled completion on Sunday, Nov. 1.

ITHA leaders want to be clear to our members: If you intend to stable and race at Hawthorne for the 2026 meet, once the track is ready for training, come at your own risk and with the knowledge that Hawthorne may be unable to start the meet and sustain it through its entirety.

We await communication from Hawthorne that it will be able to prove it can conduct a 2026 meet and meet its financial obligations. Until we have that information in our possession, we will continue to advise our members to proceed with caution.

It’s way past time for Tim Carey to directly address ITHA members about Hawthorne’s financial condition and plans. ITHA requests that he schedule a time to speak with our membership as soon as possible.

We will update the membership when we have further information.